The Unknown
by IceFire15
Summary: The Dauntless are an underground criminal gang stationed in Chicago. Ruled by Four, they are dangerous and gain power through the blackmail of powerful and wealthy individuals. Little do they know there's a secret organization plotting their downfall, determined to destroy the empire they have built. When Tris enters the picture, everything changes.


Coco:

I'm fiddling with the wires on the bomb, making sure everything's set in place - taking extra precautions not to do anything to accidentally set it off - when my phone vibrates from beside me, signaling that I've received a text. I groan out loud when I read the message on my dimmed phone screen.

 _my sources tell me they should arrive in about half an hour, be ready for anything. good luck -Will_

That's not enough time. I still haven't set the booby traps or hung up the cameras.

I groggily set my tools down on the ground, kicking it into a nearby corner. I close my eyes heavily, and slump against the back of an old couch that I'm hiding behind, as a wave of exhaustion rushes over me.

I've always been a heavy sleeper, and I've always slept more than the average human being. I just never imagined I could sleep 13 hours at once.

I had been sent here by Will yesterday, my sole mission to get the place ready for the invasion by the Dauntless. I had 24 hours, he'd said, to transform the whole place into a death zone filled with hidden traps and cameras everywhere.

I wasted 3 hours of my life beautifying the whole place; I replaced the door, spritzed the whole place with my strawberry perfume, used my GO AWAY BUGS! spray to ward off any disgusting pests, swept the floors, and dusted off the ceilings. I left the floor the way I found it; I didn't want to make the place _too_ perfect.

To top it all off, I placed a few scented candles around the place, just to give it a sort of homey feel.

When I had first arrived at the abandoned warehouse, and walked through the broken-hinged and moldy door, I was horrified by its deteriorating state. The smell of rotting fish was pungent and overwhelming; I gagged and had to go outside to get some fresh air before re-entering, my nose hairs burning.

The lack of windows, as well as the dusty floors and cobwebby ceiling, gave it a haunted and cursed vibe. The only upside was the splintery oak floors: the planks were broken and made the perfect hiding places for little traps and bombs.

In all, the whole room badly needed repairs done, ASAP. It was practically crumbling at my feet, and it wouldn't be long until it would be reduced to a pile of ash. And without the building there, the lovely cockroaches and rats that lived there would be homeless and would have to live out on the streets - left to fend for themselves.

And we wouldn't want that, would we?

The Dauntless were notorious for picking out the most derelict places, mostly situated in the middle of nowhere, but more often than not, placed at the edge of cities, near sewers or lakes.

I could see why the Dauntless chose this place. It was large and could easily accommodate a large number of people, which made it perfect for the Dauntless to hide out in for the night. The smell alone should be enough to scare away any nosy passerbys. And its terrifyingly ugly appearance would naturally repel people, which could save them a lot of time and trouble in guarding the place.

Because I was a quick worker, I had thought to myself, there's plenty of time to get everything done. Might as well take a short nap to refresh my mind.

As it turns out, that nap was anything but short. Try 13 hours.

I know now that that was a big mistake. Because, since then, I've been working almost nonstop - only stopping when needed to take bathroom breaks or to gulp down some water - to do the jobs I was assigned to do.

We were a bit short-staffed at the moment, because most of our soldiers had been assigned to take care of some unexpected business in North Chicago. We were already a small group of 36, so there were only 6 of us left. Will had put me in charge, as I had the most experience and because - not to brag or anything - I was his favorite.

My loyalty and trust was never questioned because I had proved myself time and time again, which was more than I could say for the others.

Before they had left, he had pulled me aside and said, "Coco, I'm counting on you," and had pulled me into a hug. To say I was shocked was an understatement. Will didn't really do hugs, as he wasn't too big on the idea of public displays of affection.

He was the first to pull away, and with a nod - and a salute from me - he disappeared into a sea of black uniforms and weapons.

I was left on my own, with only my best friend Marlene standing guard, and even she had trouble staying awake.

I had found her passed out and drooling on the floor in the back hallway next to the trash cans, only a couple hours earlier when I was heading to find the bathrooms. She had half a muffin in one hand, the other hand sprawled out beside her.

It seemed as though she had fallen asleep mid-bite as crumbs were on the floor and smushed muffin pieces were stuck on her face.

I knew better than to wake her up. She was always quick to fight, and would probably bite my head off if I tried to interrupt her beauty sleep. And besides, that girl does love her sleep.

Maybe even more than me.

So I had left her there, but not before dragging her off towards a janitor's closet so she could sleep in peace, laying a blanket over her sleeping body, and snatching up the muffin from her other hand, devouring it as I walked back.

Will is desperate to go through with the mission, as our inside men have reported that the Dauntless have planned to stop here for the night.

Even though I'm running on about 13 hours of sleep, I still badly need a good night's sleep as the stress is taking its toll on my already fragile mind and body; the 6 empty cups of Starbucks coffee scattered next to to me is proof.

Any other sane person would've given up, accepted that they couldn't possibly finish by themselves, and called backup. There's still a few people over at headquarters that would probably be more than happy to help.

But my stuborness and pride won't let me. Which is probably a _huge_ mistake on my part.

I close my eyes, too tired to fight against the temptation of sleep. My foggy mind barely registers the fact that I need to finish everything if the assassination attempt is to succeed.

I hear clicking, and warily open one eye to see a family of cockroaches lingering in front of me, their beady little eyes staring directly into my soul. I groan loudly, and they skitter away.

I ignore the nagging voice in my head telling me to think of the consequences, and how angry Will will be if I don't complete my assignment in time.

As I slip into darkness, my conscience adds knowingly, _You just don't want to give it your all because you're still in love with Four._

I don't disagree. Why bother arguing with the truth?


End file.
